Ligne
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2008) |
SI units | |
---|---|
2.256×10 −3 m | 2.2558 mm |
US customary units (Imperial units) | |
7.401×10 −3 ft | 88.81×10 −3 in |
The ligne or line or Paris line,[1] is a historic unit of length used in France and elsewhere prior to the adoption of the metric system in the late 18th century, and used in various sciences after that time.[2][3] It is vestigially retained today by French and Swiss watchmakers to measure the size of watch movements,[4] in button making, and ribbon manufacture.
Use[edit]
Watchmaking[edit]
There are 12 lignes to one French inch (pouce). The standardized conversion for a ligne is 2.2558291 mm (1 mm = 0.443296 ligne), and it is abbreviated with the letter L or represented by the triple prime, ‴. One ligne is the equivalent 0.0888 inch.
This is comparable in size to the British measurement called "line" (one-twelfth of an English inch), used prior to 1824.[5]
Buttonmaking[edit]
In the 9th century German button makers began to use the term ligne to measure the diameter of buttons. The consensus definition was that a ligne was the measurement of a round wick, folded flat. In this sense it measures 1⁄40 of an inch, but not exactly, for there were several inches in the kingdoms and petty states of Germany at that time.
Such a measurement became the American measurement called "line," being one-fortieth of the US-customary inch, used measure buttons, probably introduced by German immigrants. It remains in US use today for buttons and snaps.[6]
Hatmaking[edit]
Ligne is used in measuring the width of ribbons in men's hat bands,[7] at 11.26 per inch.[8]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Gates, E.J. (1915). "The Determination of the Limens of Single and Dual Impression by the Method of Constant Stimuli". The American Journal of Psychology 26 (1): 152–157. doi:10.2307/1412884.
- ^ Stearn, W.T. (1992). Botanical Latin: History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary, Fourth edition. David and Charles.
- ^ Neumann, F. (1863). "IX. Experiments on the calorific conductibility of solids". Philosophical Magazine Series 4 25 (165): 63–65. doi:10.1080/14786446308643418.
- ^ Foire aux questions sur l'horlogerie et les montres, horlogerie-suisse.com, retrieved 2010-06-30. (French)
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary
- ^ http://www.naturalbuttons.com/Buttons%20Ligne.htm
- ^ http://www.levinehat.com/blog/2011/08/what-are-french-lignes/
- ^ http://www.levinehat.com/lignes-to-inches-converter